Chapter 23 #2
“I’ll have him back in two shakes,” Dante says, not letting Cielo’s hand go.
“We’ll be here. Or somewhere else,” I say, not sure if we should stick around. “But he knows where to find me.”
Dante gives me a salute, and Cielo stares at me until I give him a nod of approval before letting Dante lead him away. When they’re gone, Zane leans back in his chair and stares at the latte puddle Cielo left behind.
“Are they always this messy?” he asks, rolling his eyes.
I elbow him hard. “Dude, you saw how graceful he was in class. They’re all like that. I just think Cielo has a crush.”
Zane makes a face, but I think he’s more jealous than anything, considering he looked like a total ass in the Zumba class. “Whatever. So, this thing…I don’t need to stage a rescue operation or anything, do I?”
“You make it sound like we’re actual monsters,” comes a voice from our right.
I turn my head and see Quilliyn walking toward us. His blue hair hangs down his back, and his graceful limbs don’t look real. He seems…different from the other Vyastil, and now that I’m staring at him, I see an odd resemblance between him and the asshole prince. It’s something about the ears.
And the piercings.
And also the way they move.
Like they own everything they touch.
But I can’t ask about it because Zane still can’t know.
“I mean, you guys tear open a portal into our world and basically hypnotize the government into signing away cum from humans—who can’t even properly consent…”
“Zane,” I tell him firmly.
“No. It’s fucking bullshit. The choice is an illusion, and half the people who refuse end up in jail.”
Quilliyn bows his head. “He isn’t wrong.”
I stare at him. “What?”
“He isn’t wrong. It’s…complicated, but the humans who are resisting have a point. It should be more voluntary.”
“Yeah. Whatever the fuck you need it for,” Zane spits, “is obviously worth the bullshit you all pull.”
I lick my lips. “You know, it’s not all that bad, right?”
“For you. The lap dog,” Zane bites.
That hurts. A lot. I wince and feel my throat get tight, and I see immediate regret on Zane’s face. But his remorse isn’t enough. I hate it because I can’t tell him what Rathyn means to me. Or what I mean to him. He won’t understand, and Quilliyn isn’t allowed to know either.
He seems like a good guy, but I can’t trust that he won’t go running to his superiors or whoever to tell them that Rathyn and I have broken some major social codes. Even if I don’t really understand what those are.
“I’m sorry,” Zane starts. “I didn’t mean…”
“It’s fine,” I say. I steal a glance at Quilliyn, who’s staring at me with a strange expression I can’t read.
“It isn’t. I didn’t mean to call you a dog. I mean, I’m glad it’s good for you, but I’ve seen those guys outside the clinic, Ev. I’ve seen people getting arrested. You might enjoy it, but it’s not fair to everyone.”
“Yeah. Only a monster-fucker freak would get off on that shit,” comes a deep voice from behind me.
Quilliyn immediately stands at attention, and I’m out of my seat alongside Zane before anyone can speak. Two massive roid-heads are standing in front of us. They’re pink in the face and sweating, their veins are poking out from obvious dehydration.
“I beg your finest fucking pardon?” I say.
The guy on the right with the blue eyes rolls them. “You heard me, monster-fucker.”
Quilliyn sucks in a breath. “Everest. Don’t.”
“Yeah. Listen to the fucking beastie,” brown eyes says to me.
I take a step closer, and Zane grabs my elbow. “I think you’re just jealous that even a starving Vyastil wouldn’t want to touch your tiny-ass cheese dick.”
The guy’s eyes widen, but the other one grabs him and shakes his head. They stare for another moment as though I’m going to be intimidated by some limp dick asshole with a bigotry problem. Thankfully, after a long beat, they turn and walk off.
I spin, fixing Quilliyn with a careful stare. “Are they always assholes to you?”
He shrugs. “They don’t matter.”
“Fuck that. You don’t need to take that shit,” I say.
Zane clears his throat, then adds, “Yeah. I mean, I’m not really cool with you all, but that was not okay.”
Quilliyn gives him a careful look, then smiles, his small fangs poking out. He still looks like the Vyastil asshole from Erethar, but kinder. Softer. Shit, are they related?
“I appreciate that, but really. It’s fine. I know how people feel about us. And I don’t entirely agree with the way things have been handled.”
I heave a sigh and rub the back of my neck. The workout was great, but I’m still tense, and I’m really missing Rathyn now. “I should take off.”
“Is he waiting for you?” Zane asks, not as tense as before, but refusing to say Rathyn’s name.
I bite my lip to hide my nerves. “He, ah…he got called away on some business. He’ll be back soon.”
I don’t know if that’s a lie, but the way Quilliyn’s eyes are on me makes me feel uneasy. His gaze slips to the bite mark on my skin, and his cheeks flush. He doesn’t say anything, so I give Zane a fist-bump and then reach over to give Quilliyn a hug. He makes a startled hum, but he hugs me back.
“Do you want me to check in on Rathyn?” he whispers.
My chest squeezes with affection. I didn’t even know he could do that, but I guess it makes sense that he can.
“No. Not yet. But I’ll let you know.”
He gives me a gentle pat and lets go, and I take one last look at Zane before heading out. I feel the silence in my head profoundly now. Rathyn is quiet, and I know if I reach out, I could probably find him, but something tells me not to.
Is it instinct or fear? I can’t tell. But I’m not willing to take any risks.
As I step out, Cielo is still nowhere to be found, so I decide to head back to The Foundry. Walking a while sounds better than a car, and I know Rathyn would be pissed about it, but it’s hard to care. I need to get out of my head for a bit.
It’s no longer raining, and the air is cool against my stress-heated skin. Getting my heart rate up again helps, but the farther away I get from the gym, the more pissed off I am about those bigoted assholes.
I also can’t stop thinking about the way Quilliyn agreed with Zane.
His points of view have some merit. There really isn’t much consent involved.
It’s all coercion blanketed in the greater good, and while I was interested in participating—and maybe even a little eager—a lot of people weren’t. And aren’t.
“Fuck,” I whisper to myself as I round the corner and take an alley that leads to The Foundry.
As I get closer, something prickles against the back of my neck, a sort of instinctive warning that I don’t know I’ve ever had before. I can see the entry gates as I slip down the second alley between two shops when, suddenly, I’m not alone.
A car whips up to the curb, and the two roid-heads from the gym step out.
Fuck.
I’m a mouthy asshole when I want to be, but I’m also not the biggest guy. My football days are long since over, and while I’ve spent plenty of time at the gym, I’m not muscle training the way I used to.
“Looks like this little bitch ran out of things to say,” the brown-eyed one says as he blocks off the alley entrance.
The other one presses up against his side. “Mouth’s too full of monster dick.”
“Better than what you’ve got,” I say. It was an objectively stupid thing to do, of course. And the consequences are immediate. Blue-eyes cocks a fist back and punches me so hard, I’m on the ground before I feel it.
I attempt to sit up, but just as I press my palms into the pavement, a heavy shoe connects with my ribs. All the air leaves my lungs, and I can’t scream for help.
Shit.
They’re going to kill me.
Instinctively, I call out in my head. “Rathyn. Where are you?”
A buzz and then a thump, making me wince once more.
“Here. I’m here.”
“I’m sorry.” The words whisper through my mind. “I’m sorry. I fucked up.”
Another kick to the ribs, and the edges of my vision go black. I brace myself for another blow, but before one comes, I hear a loud trill belonging to a Vyastil.
Rath, I think for a wild moment. But I open one eye, and I see it’s not him. It’s Cielo—sans coat, his claws flying. There’s blood suddenly, and a heavy thud of a body beside me.
Then the sound of the other man running away.
By the time Cielo has lifted me into his arms, I can hear the sound of tires peeling off on the pavement.
“Rathyn…”
“Mm,” Cielo murmurs.
He must have sent him. “I’m hurt.”
“Yessss,” he says without mistakes, though he lingers a while on the S. The sound of his voice is comforting.
“You can’t take me through the building like this,” I tell him. I’m a mess, can feel my eye swelling, and I’m tasting blood from where I must have bitten my lip. “Someone will tell Rathyn how bad it is and he’ll break the rules and come find me.”
Cielo hums an agreement, then manages to get out, “Myyyyy.”
His? His what? But he’s walking now, so I rest my aching head on his shoulder and search for Rathyn. He’s still there.
“What is wrong?” he asks.
“Nothing. I just panicked. I’m okay.”
He hums lowly, and it rattles my skull slightly. “You are injured.”
“Nah. Just a little scrape.”
It’s a lie, but one I need to tell. One I need to believe. I don’t want him coming back for me, getting in trouble for me.
I couldn’t live with myself.
“I hope death brings eternal pain to whatever caused your scrape,” Rathyn sends viciously.
“That’s a bit much, babe.” Though it might be true. I have no idea how badly Cielo hurt them.
“Babe,” he repeats, and I smile even as the pain becomes a bit much. I can’t let him sense this. I can’t.
“Go back to work. I’m fine, really.”
He hesitates a moment, almost unsure, but then I feel the acceptance. “I will return soon and attend to your healing.”
I don’t believe that he’ll be here soon, but I send him a burst of affection and then let myself sink into darkness as Cielo carries me inside.